A cookie bouquet is a fun alternative to a traditional bouquet of flowers. These bouquets can be made out of chocolate chip cookies, decorated sugar cookies, or packaged cookies and gumdrops. Many companies will create and send a cookie bouquet to your loved one, but why not make it yourself? With just a few ingredients, you can put together an impressive cookie gift bouquet. Read on to learn how to make cookie bouquets for fun, creative and delicious gifts for anyone on your list.

Decorated Cookie BouquetThis is one of the most impressive types of cookie bouquets to make and should last up to two weeks. Take care when decorating the cookies so that they look both professional and delicious.

Step 1. Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe. If you don’t make cookies regularly, look in cookbooks or online for a basic recipe. Reduce or eliminate baking powder and baking soda so that the cookies won’t rise much and will stay flat for decorating. You can use a cookie mix or refrigerated dough, but they may not stay as flat as cookies made from scratch.

Step 2. Roll out the dough approximately ½ inch thick. The cookies need to be thicker than normal so that they will stay on the sticks without breaking.

Step 3. Cut shapes with cookie cutters or a knife. They can be flower shapes, round, heart shapes for Valentines Day, ghosts and pumpkins for Halloween – the only limit is your imagination.

Step 4. Arrange the cookies on sheets with no edges. You need to be able to put the sticks in the cookies while they are still on the sheet. Make sure the cookie sheets are nonstick or place the cookies on parchment paper.

Step 5. Bake the cookies until they are set, but don’t let them brown. As soon as you pull them out of the oven, press them flat with a spatula and insert the cookie sticks. These sticks can be paper lollipop-type sticks or thin wooden skewers that are used for barbeque. Paper sticks can be purchased online or at craft stores, while skewers can usually be found at grocery stores. As the cookies cool, they will close in around the stick and hold it tight. If you need extra security, place a dab of royal icing where the stick meets the cookie to act like glue.

Step 6. Move the cookies to cooling racks after five minutes. Allow them to cool completely.

Step 7. Glaze the cookies with a mixture of powdered sugar, water and corn syrup. This will seal the cookies and keep them fresh longer, but won’t change the taste. You can freeze the cookies at this step by putting them in zippered plastic bags.

Step 8. Decorate! Once the glaze has dried, decorate with colored royal icing. There are many different recipes for this type of icing, but it is usually made with confectioners sugar, meringue powder and water. Although it is easy to make from scratch, royal icing mix is available at most grocery stores. You can put the liquid icing in a squeeze bottle if you want more control over your decorations. The icing will dry hard and smooth.

Step 9. Assemble the bouquet. Get a basket or pot that will hold the cookies. Cut some Styrofoam or floral foam and fit it tightly inside the container. If you are using Styrofoam, use a hot glue gun to secure the foam inside the container so that it won’t tip. Insert the cookie sticks into the foam at different heights to make an attractive display. Use Spanish moss or shredded tissue paper to cover the foam; you can use green tissue paper so that it looks like grass. Decorate the container with ribbon or colored cellophane so that it makes a nice presentation.

Step 10. Eat! Deliver your bouquet and take a sample of all your hard work.

Gumdrop Cookie BouquetIf you don’t want to make cookies from scratch, here is a great cookie flower bouquet that uses packaged cookies and candy for a fun presentation.

Step 1. Buy large gumdrops and packaged cookies that have a small hole in the middle. One-layer cookies with no fillings work best for this bouquet. Look in the imported foods aisle for shortbread or sugar cookies that have scalloped edges for an even prettier cookie “flower.”

Step 2. Take a wooden skewer and press one gumdrop on the pointed end, pushing it down about one inch from the top. Place a cookie on the skewer so that the tip of the skewer is through the hole and the cookie is resting on the first gumdrop.

Take another gumdrop and press it on the tip of the skewer so that it holds the cookie in place, but don’t let the skewer protrude through the top.

Step 3. Make several cookie flowers in this manner and set them into a basket or pot in the same way as the first cookie bouquet example.

Step 4. If you would rather use a vase, you can weight the bottom of the base with clear or colorful glass pebbles and set the cookie flowers inside. If the skewers tend to drop apart or the mouth of the vase is too wide, loosely tie the sticks together with ribbon.

Themed Cookie BouquetsCookies can be cut into shapes to make a themed basket for any occasion. Try some of these ideas as a springboard for your own basket:

Valentine’s Day. Make a dozen “long-stemmed” cookies in a heart shape and decorate them with red, pink and white icing. Set the cookies into a beautiful weighted vase and secure a few red and pink balloons to make it even more festive.

Birthday. If you have a friend who loves chocolate chip cookies, make a batch and keep them thick. Insert sticks or skewers and wrap each cookie individually with cellophane to keep them fresh. Tie the cellophane at the stick with colorful curling ribbon and decorate the basket with ribbon and balloons. You can also make standard sugar cookies with royal icing and pipe the birthday boy or girl’s age on the front of each cookie.

Baby shower. Cut cookie shapes into teddy bears, ducks and baby bottles. Decorate with pastel-colored icing and put them in a basket along with baby-themed items such as tiny socks and booties.

Mother’s Day. Make a batch of cookies in flower shapes and decorate them either in one color for a more elegant bouquet or use different shapes and colors for a mixed-up bouquet. Cut the sticks in different lengths for a more mounded effect.

A cookie bouquet is a thoughtful way to show someone you care. No matter what kind of cookie he or she likes, you can put together a professional-looking bouquet that will make their day. Not a baker? No problem; use candy and packaged cookies for a yummy and colorful treat. A bouquet of cookies will last just as long as a bouquet of flowers and it might smell even sweeter. The next time you need a fun and impressive gift, try a cookie bouquet – not only is it fun to give, it is a lot of fun to make.

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